"The Date of Revelation" by Steve Baisden
The Date of Revelation by Steve Baisden Many come to this book looking at it as if it has great mystical powers of prophecy for the future. Others come to this book and think that it is talking about events far removed from the first century that have occurred throughout history. Events like the coming of the Catholic denomination, or WWII, or Russia rising up against the U.S., etc. Many fanciful prophetic images have been imagined possible from this grand book. It is a mystery to many and to such a degree that many people will not even read it. The introduction to the book of Revelation is the key to understanding this marvelous book! In the first three verses God tells us how to "hear" and "keep" the things written therein. Rev 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" Rev 1:2 "Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." Rev 1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at ' ' hand." God sets the context immediately by telling us the things in the book were "at hand" and "must shortly come to pass." John wrote the book 2000 years ago. If we allow God to be true then I would expect, even demand, that those things written in Revelation were "at hand" to the time when John wrote it. That cannot mean thousands of years into the future. How far off was the kingdom when Jesus said repent for the kingdom is "at hand"? How far off is summer, when a tree starts putting forth leaves? Jesus used this analogy in (Mt 24:32) to explain it was "nigh." The word "nigh" in (Mt 24) is translated "at hand" in (Rev 1:3, 22:10). This divine definition should serve any honest disciple in understanding how God uses that word. No one would think when the leaves start coming out on trees that summer is 2000 + years in the future! It never ceases to amaze me how some can simply skirt around context building words and phrases whenever those words and phrases do not line up with their current belief. Rom 3:4 "let God be true, but every man a liar." Another key to properly analyzing any scripture is how to use internal and external evidences. Internal evidence simply means those things taken from within the Bible. External evidence simply means evidence taken from outside of the Bible. Can we use external evidence as a proof for internal evidence? Yes. But we should not make the mistake of allowing external evidence supremacy over internal evidence. The external evidence must fit and harmonize with the internal evidence in corroboration. Brother James Burton Coffman writes about this problem when dealing with the book of Revelation: "The late date in the times of Domitian relies almost totally upon a single quotation from Irenaeus which is not necessarily that reliable, being quite ambiguous also. As Wallace said, 'The statement of Irenaeus meant that John was seen or the Apocalypse was seen; and it has little value, if any, as evidence.' His quotation does not even mention 'the writing' of Revelation, but refers solely to the time when certain unnamed persons are alleged to have 'seen' either the apostle or the prophecy, nobody knows which. This proves nothing. Besides that: IF he meant the Apocalypse was seen, and if it had been originally composed in Aramaic and later translated into Greek (as alleged by some), then Irenaeus' quotation could have reference to the Greek translation, if indeed it referred to the Revelation at all. There goes the whole case for the late date." (J.B. Coffman, Revelation, Pg 4) Internal evidence actually demands that Nero was the Ruler when John was writing the book of Revelation. Rev 17:10 "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." John writes five kings are fallen and one IS. Josephus, the noted historian who was contemporary with John, numbers the Roman emperors so that there can be no mistake about it. 1) Julius, 2) Augustus, 3) Tiberius, 4) Caius, 5) Claudius, are the five fallen and the one who "now is" NERO! Nero reigned from 54 to 68 AD. This demands the book must have been written between 54 and 68 AD! Some will argue that Julius was not the first Caesar. They argue this in an attempt to get past the AD 70 date. But even if this is true, you would then have Galba as Caesar and his reign ended in January 68 AD. Still prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 70. Consider what Paul said in (Acts 20:27) "for I have not shunned to declare ALL the counsel of God." Is the book of Revelation a part of the counsel of God? It certainly is! Then Paul taught what John was teaching in Revelation prior to AD 70. Jesus said in (Mat 24:14) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Paul again confirms that Jesus words were true; (Col 1:23) says the gospel had gone to every creature under heaven and this, too was before AD 70. Knowing this to be true and knowing Revelation is a part of the gospel, we know it had gone to every creature under heaven just as Paul said it had before AD 70. Further, Peter wrote to the churches of Asia (1Pet 1:1), and he wrote to them about the same things that John had written to them about... the things "at hand" (1Pet 4:17, Rev 1:3). Also consider the miraculous age only lasted for period of forty years. Micah 7:15 "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous (miraculous) things." Both brothers Guy Woods and Franklin Camp used this passage as proof to the passing of miracles at the destruction of Jerusalem. Israel was in the wilderness wandering for forty years, and this is the amount of time that God would give miracles. To this agrees Jesus and the Apostles. 1Co 1:7-8 "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told the Corinthian's they would have the miraculous gifts until the end, waiting for the coming of Christ. Jesus said He was coming in AD 70 to destroy Jerusalem (Lk 21:20-32, Mt 24, Mk 13). When Jesus came, the miraculous gifts ceased (1Cor 13:8-10)! Make no mistake John's miraculous gifts (and this would include His miraculous ability to write scripture) would end by AD 70. No way could the book have been written after that! Even brother James Burton Coffman concurs with this analogy. Brother Coffman quotes Robinson and affirmed that the entire New Testament was dated prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. (J.B Coffman, Revelation, Page 5) More internal evidence is found in (Rev 11). Rev 11:1 "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." The Temple of God and the altar could NOT have been measured if they were not there. Rev 11:2 "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." The Holy City was still there and had not yet been tread under foot of the Gentiles. Jesus said this would happen in (Lk 21:20-32) and said it would take place when Jerusalem was compassed with armies, in that generation. Rev 11:8 "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." Can there be any doubt as to where Jesus was crucified...JERUSALEM! Remember, John was writing about things that had to "shortly come to pass" things "at hand." He was writing about events happening with the Holy City Jerusalem. This can only mean he wrote it before Jerusalem's destruction in AD70. Although much more could be given, this article has given ample proof of the early date of Revelation. Brothers Foy Wallace, Gene West, Art Ogden, James B Coffman, and many other preachers in the church of Christ also agree. The martyred souls under the Altar of God asked the Lord how long would it be until judgment and vengeance (Rev 6:9-10). Jesus answered; (Luk 21:20,22) "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." AMEN!